Twelve priests in Ireland have issued a statement calling for an open discussion on equality for women in the Church, including in ministry. “Discriminating against women encourages and reinforces abuse and violence against women in many cultures and societies,” they said. Some of the 12 have been prominent members of the reformist Association of Catholic Priests in Read more
Pope Francis has denounced priests and bishops who “defamed” Blessed Oscar Romero after his death, in a campaign that delayed his beatification. The Pope made these remarks “off-the-cuff” while speaking on Friday to a group of Salvadoran pilgrims. Pope Francis said that Romero suffered martyrdom not just by his murder on March 24, 1980, but Read more
Members of the Roma and Sinti communities are taking issue with some of the stereotypes some have said Pope Francis used in a speech last week. On Monday, Francis spoke to an audience of 7000 people from these communities at the Vatican in a so-called “World Pilgrimage of Gypsy People”. The event marked the 50th Read more
A gay former official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has written a letter to Pope Francis in which the Church is accused of homophobia. Msgr Krzysztof Charamsa told Francis the Catholic Church is “full of homosexuals” despite being “frequently violently homophobic”. The Polish theologian called on “all gay cardinals, gay bishops Read more
Pope Francis has paid a private visit to an elderly cardinal who fell and broke his leg at the final Mass at the synod on the family. Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 93, lost his balance and fell in St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday while the Pope was greeting prelates after the Mass. The injury was reported Read more
The Vatican’s Secretary of State expects an apostolic exhortation on the family from Pope Francis reasonably soon. Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Italian news agency ANSA that the Pope will promulgate a document based in the conclusions of the synod of bishops’ recent meeting. Regarding the timing of any apostolic exhortation, he said: “This I do Read more
In his closing address to the synod of bishops meeting about the family, Pope Francis said the gathering has been about overcoming closed hearts. Pope Francis said that the synod was not about settling all the issues to do with the family, but rather to see them in the light of the Gospel. He said Read more
Senior cardinals have said a news story that the Pope has a brain tumour was intended to weaken his authority. Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias told The Tablet the story indicates there are people who want to damage the Pope. “It’s the first thought that came to me. Somebody is trying to weaken the Pope’s position Read more
Pope Francis has announced the creation of a new Vatican department for laity, family and life. He made the announcement on Thursday evening’s session of the family synod in Rome. The new dicastery was proposed by the Council of Cardinals, the Pope’s closest cardinal-advisers. It is unclear if the new department will be called a Read more
The Vatican has dismissed as “baseless” a report that Pope Francis has a benign brain tumour. As reports of the story originally published in Italy’s Quotidiano Nazione spread around the world, the Vatican issued three denials. The report was called “a grave act of irresponsibility, absolutely inexcusable and unconscionable”. Quotidiano Nazionale reported on its front Read more